We had a productive soundcheck and rehearsal with Trio da Paz, Kenny Barron, and singers Pamela Driggs and Maucha Adnet.

We spent more than an hour making sure that what the nation hears in New York will most assuredly sound like Rio de Janeiro. Michael Bourne was in fine form, and he has a story from Antonio Carlos Jobim to lead us into the countdown. We've practiced everything. Next time, it's for real.

After rehearsal, we ran upstairs to Blue Smoke for eats. Here's what it took to feed the New York crew.

It's Lovano's 55th birthday today, and he's celebrating it with a three-day run with his quintet at the Palazzo del Popolo in Orvieto, Italy. What a way to end a monumental year. Wish I could be there, since Italy's Umbria region is one of my favorite places to be, but I'll be spending my New Year's Eve at Jazz Standard, with Trio da Paz, Kenny Barron, and a great New York crew for NPR's Toast of the Nation (hope you'll be listening!).

Incidentally, Toast of the Nation is where Lovano's 2007 began, as a member of the McCoy Tyner Quartet (bassist Christian McBride and drummer Jeff "Tain" Watts make four) at Yoshi's. You can hear the fruits of that week at Yoshi's on record.

It's been such a banner year for Joe. Check out the video below. And when you see him again, raise a glass of my favorite Umbrian wine, Paolo Bea's Sagrantino de Montefalco, in honor of him.